Alex Rodriguez says he needs a 'timeout' and MLB is doing him 'a favor' with 2014 suspension

posted by David Brown
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2 years ago

A few days ago, when his season-long suspension was handed down by an arbitrator, Alex Rodriguezdefiantly talked about getting "justice" — not only for himself in the Biogenesis case, but for any and all other players about to get the shaft by Major League Baseball. The "deck was stacked against" him from Day 1, but he was going to fight. Rodriguez even was planning on going to spring training in Tampa as a legal injunction (he hoped) made its way through the court system. Call him "Spartacus," pretty much.

Given some time to think about it, A-Rod apparently is comfortable sitting out all of 2014. Hey, it might even be a good thing. The league even might be doing him a solid.

"I think that in the year 2014, the league could have done me a favor because I've played 20 years without a timeout," Rodriguez said... "I think 2014 will be a year to rest mentally and physically prepare myself for the future and begin a new chapter of my life."

As far as what happens when the suspension ends in 2015, Rodriguez said, "I have 3 years left on my contract starting in 2015 and I hope to play very well and finish my career in New York."

He even echoed the words of teammate Derek Jeter, who said the entire affair was sad. Uh... OK. Yeah, he's flipped out. Certainly he has flip-flopped. A cynical response to A-Rod's comments would be that he simply is playing all of the angles by trying to sound apologetic for once. One thing he hasn't been throughout the Biogenesis odyssey is repentant. Rodriguez hasn't done anything wrong (this time), he has said. Bud Selig and MLB have been out to get him and that's it.

Now, A-Rod is on the record saying that he's at peace with his suspension. It's not a guilty plea but it's... something. If it's not part of a grand legal/public relations strategy, it's just A-Rod being A-Rod, i.e., strange. Does this mean he's going to drop the suit against the league, against the players union? No, he didn't say that.

What will A-Rod say tomorrow? Something different, probably. But hey, when the deck is stacked against you, just shuffle the deck.